of milwaukee



l. M. JONES APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING SKINS AND LEATHER Jan. 13 OriginalFiled Aprll 9. 1925 2 Sheeltzsshlezgzlg e 6 5 Zig, 1.

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Re. 17 5 2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed April I Jan. 13, 1931.

gril/1711111 iti Reissued Jan. 13, 1931 ECE IRA MILTON JONES, 0FMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNQR T0 CARL A.. BECHSTFIN AND EVIALDE..KORNETZ, OFMILW'AUKEE, WIFSCONSIN APPARATUS FOR STRETGHING- SKINS ANDLEATHER Original No. 1,632,551, dated June V14, 1927, Serial No. 21,830,filed April 9, 1925. Application for reissue led April 6, 1929.

This invention has as a general object the simplification and lighteningof apparatus of the character described in order to facilitate theirhandling and to cheapen their cost of production.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of anapparatus for stretching and drying skins, leather and'other materialshaving a plurality of attaching surfaces arranged for movement in acommon plane, a driving or operating member and connections between thedriving and operating mein ber for effecting simultaneous movementbetween the attaching surfaces.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved apparatusorframe for stretching and drying skins, leather and othermaterialshaving aplurality of Work engaging surfaces and guide means onwhich the work engaging surfaces are so mounted as to be movable in acommon plane and individually adjustable.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of meanspermittingl rotational motion of the, attaching members whereby thedistribution of stresses on the skin, leather or other material beingstretched is automatically' equalized.

Vith the above andy other objectsin View which will appear asthedeseription proceeds, my invention residesinthe novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed und more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodimentof thehereindisclosed invention maybe made as come within vthc scope of theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Ihav-e illustrated two complete examplesof the physical embodiment of my inventionconstructed according to thebest modes I Khave so far devised forthe practical application of theprinciples thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of animproved frame constructed in accordancewith my invention, a skin orother material heingillustrated in dotted lines as attachedthereto;

Figure :Ziis a fragmentary, sectional `view imei-als designate likebrace or guide rods Yframe being covered with Serial No. 353,232.

Ytaken vthrough Figure 1 on-the plane'ofthe line 4-flg Figure 5 is afront elevational view of a Vslightly modified forni of my invention;

Figure (i is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vieiv taken throughFigure 5 on the piane of the line 6-6; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail sectional vicw taken through Figure 5on theplane of 5the line 7-7.

VReferring now more particularly `to the accompanying drawings in whichlike nuparts throughout ythe several views, the numeral 5 designates arectangular supporting frame preferably constructed of angle iron andreinforced at its corners by corner pieces or castings 6 and `positionedcentrally of the frame 5 is a casting or housing 7 Wh ich is mounted inplace by pairs of brace rods 8 providing guides for the members 9, to belater described. The 8 are arrangedin pairs and have their inner endsthreaded in the central casting or housing 7, as at 9', and their outerends suitably secured in the corner members 6.

Siidably mounted on each pair of brace or guide rods 8 is a cross-head1U on Which ,thc frame members 9 are rotatably mounted, each cross-headbeing preferably in Ythe form of a casting or other construction havingtwo parallel guide openings 11 therein through which itssupportingrbrace or guide rods 8 siide. Each framemember 9 ispreferablyconstructed from angle iron 12 and, in the present embodiment, is ofrectangular shape with the inner-most corner cut away, the

a. foraminous meinber 13 which provides an attaching surface.

Extended inwardly from thesides of each frame are braces 14 which firmlymount an annular ring 15 at a medial point,;the inner periphery of thering being counter-bored to provide an inwardly projecting fiange 16which engages in an annular channel or groove 17 formed between theextended peripheral edge portion 18 ot a clamping plate 19 and theadjacent cross-head 10, the clampin ,o plate 19 being removably securedto the cross-head by bolts or other means 20. This arrangement firmlymounts each frame 9 in the frame 5 for movement radially ot the castingor housing 7 and permits an individual rotational motion of each frame 9about the axis of its cross-head, and at the same time retains theframes in a common plane at all times.

The movement of the frames 9 is coordinated by a driving or operatingmember 21 rotatably mounted in the casting; or housing 'i' by a pivotbolt and adapted to be rotated by an actuating shaft 23, the inner endof which is threaded in an internally threa ded sleeve 24 eccentricallvfixed to the driving or operating member by a pivot bolt 25. The outerend of the shaft 23 rotatably, but nonlonnitudinally shittably,supported from one side angle member of the frame 5 by a socket member26 splined thereto, as at 27, and journaled in a socket bearing Q8suspended from the adjacent frame side. The outer end ot the shaft 23 issquared, as at Q9, for convenience in applying an actuating crankthereto and. as Will be readily apparent, rotation of the shaft to screwthe inner end thereof in the sleeve 24 tends to rotate the driving: oroperating member 21 in a clockwise direction With respect to Figure 1and a rotation of the shaft in a reverse direction tends to rotate themember 21 in a counterclockwise direction.

The rotational movement ot the drivingr or operating member 21 istransmitted to the frames 9 by connectingr members or toggle links 30,the inner ends of which are eccentrically, pivotally connectedL with themem*- ber ill by crank pins 31 carried thereby to one side of its axisand the outer ends of the links are nivotally connected, as at 32. tothe cross-heads 10. `@ne ot the lnen'ibers 30 has its inner endecccntrically connected With'the d riving or operating member 21 bv thepivot f2.5 securing the threaded sleeve 24 thereto.

In operation the skin, leather or other material to be stretched,designated 33, is yattached to the apparatus by hooks or other members34 which are engaged with the ed ges of the material and in theapertures oit' tbe attaching surface. She-.tt 23 is then rotated tothread its inner end into the sleeve 24 rotating the operating,r ordriving member Q1 in a clockwise direction with respect to Finure 1causing the members 30 to move the Ytrames 9 outwardly toward theirpositions illustrated in Figure 1, stretching the ma terial as will bereadily apparent. Should the operator in placing material 33 on theframe dispose unequal strains thereon, the

" Vmembers 9 independently rotate about the cross-heads 10 to equalizethe strains as Will be readily7 apparent.

In that form of my invention illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7, theconstruction is identical with that illustrated in Figures 1 to 4,inclusive, except that the frames 9 are held against rotation and theconstruction thus materially simplified and ligfhtcned. The Jframes 9in'this form ot my invention are slidablv mounted on the ,snide rods 8by slides 35 tired to the opposite ends ot the frame 9 which slidablyengage the rods. The toggle linlrs 30 for engagingr the driving oroperating member with the frames 9 have their outer ends pivotallyconnected with the inner-most slide members, as at 36, and the operatingshaft 23 is connected with the mem ber 21 by a beveled gear 37 fixed toits inner end and meshed with a bevel gear 38 iixed to the member Q1.The inner ond of the shaft 23 in this form of my invention is journaledin a bearing 39 formed on the pivot pin 22 of the member 21 and theouter end of the shaft 23 is journaled in a bearing Ll() suspended fromthe adjacent side of the trame 5.

The operation of this form of my invention is identical with that formillustrated in Figure 1 with the exception that the trames 9 are heldagainst rotational movement andA therefore, a further detail descriptionthereof is deemed unnecessary.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a plurality oftrame members having work engaging surtacese means mounting the framemembers 'for movement in a common plane, an operating member, meansrotatably mounting the operating member medially of the frame members,c-onnectinU members having their inner ends eccentriczilly connectedwith the operatingl member and their outer ends connected with the framemembers, whereby rotation ot the operating members moves the framemembers in a common plane, and means opere able from one side oftheapparatus tor retaty ing the'operating member.

2. A napparatus for stretching skins and leather comprisingr a mainsupporting frame structure, a plurality oi movable frame memberssubstantially Within the main support ing frame structure, guide membersin the frame structure radiating from theV center thereof and mountingthe trame members for movement in a common plane, an open ating membermounted in the main trame structure between the frame members, andconnections between the operating member and the frame members wherebyactuation of the operating member moves the trame members in a commonplane.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a main supportingframe structure, a plurality of movable frame lofi members substantiallyWithin the main supporting frame structure, guide members in the framestructure and radiating from the center thereof for mounting the framemembers for movement in a common plane, a housing mounted in the mainframe structure betvveen the frame members, an operating memberjournaled in the housing, and connecting members having their inner endseccentrically secured to the operating meinber and their outer endsconnected with the frame members whereby rotation of the 0peratingmember moves the frame members on the guide members.

4. An apparatus for stretching skins and leather, comprising a pluralityof frame members having Work engaging surfaces. means mounting the framemembers for movement only in a common plane and permitting rotationthereof on an axis transversely of the plane of movement, an operatingmember mounted medially of the frame members, means connecting theoperating members with the frame members, and means for driving theoperating member whereby its motion is transmitted to the frame membersto produce movement thereof iu a common plane.

5. An apparatus for stretching skins and leather, comprising a mainsupporting frame structure, guides mounted in the main frame structure,crosssheads slidably mounted in the main frame structure by the guides,frame members having work engaging surfaces, means mounting a framemember on each cross-head, an actuating member mounted between the framemembers, and means connecting the actuating member with the cross-heads,wherebyv operation of the actuating member causes movement of the framemembers in a common plane.

An apparatus of the character described, comprising a main supportingframe structure, guides mounted in the main frame the main framestructure by the guides, frame members having Work engaging surfaces,means mounting a frame member on each cross-head for rotation on an axistransversely of the guides, an actuating member mounted betveen theframe members, and means connecting the actuating member with thecross-heads, whereby operation of the actuating member causes movementof the frame members in a common plane.

7. An apparatus for stretching skins and leather, comprising a pluralityof frame members having work engaging surfaces, means mounting the framemembers for movement only in a common plane and permitting rotationthereof on an axis transversely of the plane of movement, and means forproducing movement of the frame members in a common plane.

8. An apparatus for stretching skins and leather comprising a hubmember, guide means radially extended from the hub member, a pluralityof movable frame members having work engaging surfaces, means connectingthe frame members With the guide means whereby the frame members aremovable in a common plane, an operating member, means mounting theoperating member in the hub member, and means connecting the operatingmember with the frame members whereby actuation of the operating membermoves the frame members in a common plane.

9. An apparatus of the character described comprising a main supportingframe structure, guide means Within the frame structure, a plurality ofmovable frame members having Work engaging surfaces, means connectingthe frame members with the guide means whereby the frame members aremovable in a common plane, and means for producing relative movementbetween the frame members.

10. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rigid mainsupporting frame structure, guide means Within the frame structure andfixed with respect thereto, a plurality of frame members having Workengaging surfaces, means mounting the frame members from the guide means`whereby the frame members are movable in a common plane andindividually adjustable, and means for moving the frame members.

ll. An apparatus for stretching skins and leather comprising a rigidmain supporting frame structure, guide members located Within the framestructure and fixed With respect thereto, a plurality of movable framemembers having work engaging surfaces, means for connecting the framemembers with the guide members whereby the frame members are movable ina common plane, the line of movement of the guide members beingr radialwith respect to a point medial of the main frame structure, and meansfor moving the frame members.

12. An apparatus of the character de scribed comprising a rigidsupporting frame structure, guide means Within the frame structure andfixed with respect thereto, a plurality of movable frame members havingwork engaging surfaces, means for connecting the frame members with theguide means whereby the frame members are movable in a common plane, andmeans for moving the frame members in a radial line With respect to apoint medial of the frame structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

IRA MILTON JONES.

CERTIFICATE OE CORRECTION.

Reissue Patent No. 17,929. Granted January 13, 1931, to

IRA MILTON JONES.

lt is hereby certified that the name of the second mentioned assignee inthe above numbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "EwaldE. Kornetz", whereas said name should have been written and printed asEwald E. Kornitz, as shown by the records of assignments in this office;and that the said Letters Patent shouId be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of February, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

